When I take the 6th Ave bus uptown it still gets snarled in traffic. The real culprits seem to be delivery trucks.
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Last month, congestion pricing brought in almost $52 million in additional revenue for the MTA. In the first two months, close to $100 million in revenue has been generated.
In addition to raising a lot of cash, around 74,000 drivers elected to use alternative modes, cutting traffic down in the tunnels into the city in January alone.
And the city economy is benefitting, too. It’s a win-win.
The program is bringing tangible benefits to the city and it’s a shame the President fails to realize this.
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I would argue this is exactly why he wants to kill it. NYC is a left leaning constituency that doesn’t swear allegiance to him (except the mayor 
).
He has no issue openly attacking Americans who he views as unsupportive. At the very least, I’m sure he figures he can force the city/state into a negotiation to keep congestion pricing while doing something else beneficial for him.
Gestures vaguely towards the mayor again
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There is also the toll gantry, which partially obscures the marquee of Donnie’s overpriced Holiday Inn as you approach from Columbus Circle.
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Congestion pricing in NYC is so successful that a leading far-right magazine has called for it to be implemented in Palm Beach, FL.
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Ha. Trump would have a stroke over this.
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LOL it works here because we have a massive, affordable mass transit network. Palm Beach is another story.
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San Francisco is taking notes. They are thinking about congestion pricing of their own. City officials even flew to NY to study the program. Unlike Palm Beach, they have a large transit network so it could work.
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This is why it’s crucial that it succeeds in NYC and why so much money is being poured to campaign against it.
“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere (where mass transit is available).”
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Maybe a local can update but the bus system in SF used to be absolutely horrible.
New York City, NY - Council Member Erik Bottcher today unveiled a bold new legislative proposal to launch “Pedestrian Pricing,” a first-of-its-kind initiative that would charge individuals for walking within Manhattan’s central business district.
Specifically, pedestrians will incur a fee of $3.99 for each half mile walked below 60th Street in Manhattan. Non-residents who walk slowly will incur an additional 25-cent surcharge per trip. In addition to easing pedestrian congestion, this program would generate billions of dollars for the NYC Department of Transportation, earmarked for the creation of bike lanes on sidewalks every block across New York City.
“84% of my constituents don’t have cars, but nearly 100% have feet,” said Council Member Erik Bottcher. “That’s a lot of untaxed toes. We’re leaving a lot of money on the table - or more accurately, on the sidewalk. It’s time to make walking pay off — for the City. Honestly, I can’t believe no one thought of monetizing feet before.”
The Pedestrian Pricing system will utilize state-of-the-art technology, powered by artificial intelligence, to ensure a seamless and efficient user experience. Built to meet the demands of a high-density urban environment, the system is designed to function effortlessly at scale — tracking millions of daily steps. Key components of the program include:
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Smart Sensors and Cameras: Every sidewalk south of 60th Street will be equipped with cutting-edge sensors and ultra-HD cameras designed to detect and log pedestrian foot traffic with alarming precision. These devices will seamlessly assess walking fees in real time — all while maintaining strict privacy standards, with the exception of shoe size data - which may be sold to further subsidize the program.
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Mobile Payment Integration: Users can register and pay through a sleek, user-friendly app featuring real-time fee tracking, contactless checkout, and customizable “step alerts.” Automatic billing ensures no one forgets to pay for their stroll.
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Embedded Payment Chips: As an alternative to the mobile app, constituents will have the option to receive a small implantable chip, discreetly placed in the molar or beneath the skin of the forearm. This chip will link directly to their credit card, allowing for instantaneous payment upon entry into the pedestrian pricing zones. Residents can have the chip implanted free of charge at any New York City Public Library branch. Additionally, select Wendy’s® franchise locations will offer walk-in chip installation as part of their “Meat the Future” civic engagement campaign.
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Sidewalk Bike Lanes: To complement the pedestrian pricing program, the City will roll out a bold new initiative: sidewalk bike lanes. Under this plan, sidewalks will become shared spaces, with a significant portion dedicated to cyclists — leaving pedestrians a narrower, more purposeful sliver of walking room. These multimodal corridors aim to promote efficiency, encourage active transit, and reduce the emotional toll of spontaneous eye contact. Importantly, revenue from pedestrian pricing will directly fund the construction and maintenance of these sidewalk bike lanes on every block throughout New York City.
“The era of free footsteps is over,” said Ivana Anklette, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsible Access to Pavement . “People love to romanticize walking — ‘It’s healthy! It’s free!’ Well, not anymore. With pedestrian pricing, we’re finally acknowledging the true cost of foot traffic. Sidewalk wear-and-tear, passive-aggressive shoulder bumps, vape clouds — it all adds up. If anything, $3.99 per half mile is a bargain.”
“As someone who’s had to walk south of 60th Street for work, brunch, and at least three dates that ended with ‘I’m actually not over my ex,’ I fully support this initiative,” said Upper West Side resident Paul Bunion. “My therapist says I need to stop overcommitting, and honestly, a $3.99 walking fee is the boundary I never knew I needed. If pedestrian pricing saves me from one more overpriced eggs Benedict and a mimosa that tastes like panic, I’ll gladly pay it.”
If approved, the program will commence on April Fool’s Day, 2026.
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San Francisco buses are great in terms of coverage, but reliability is quite bad these days. As gridlock has become the norm, the bus system has been crippled along with the rest of traffic. A few routes have dedicated bus lanes and the Van Ness BRT corridor does move quickly, but reducing congestion would go a long way to improving reliability overall.
Personally, I love the idea of bringing congestion pricing to SF, especially if there’s a plan to direct those funds towards: more BRTs; more ferries; grade separation for MUNI; and in an ideal world, the long-planned second BART tunnel connecting Mission Bay, FiDi, the Richmond, and Sunset Districts.
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Why do people believe that good mass transit is a necessary condition precedent to the implementation of congestion pricing?
Why can’t congestion pricing serve as a revenue generation method by itself and not necessarily an inducement to modal switch?
Regardless of whether New York, San Francisco, Palm Beach or any other place that has or may be considering congestion pricing has decent transit or not, the opponents of congestion pricing will say it’s bad / unsafe / unreliable, etc. and proponents will say the opposite. The actual truth doesn’t really matter, and there is really no one to convince except the powers-that-be. If someone is opposed to congestion pricing then changing that person’s mind is next to impossible, no matter how many facts you throw their way!
Interesting point.
It is easier to argue that low-income people will be hurt by congestion pricing when they don’t have good mass transit alternatives. But if you create a system with relatively easy exemptions for low-income folks, it can probably work well.
Then congestion pricing (in an area with poor mass transit) becomes a win-win instead of a win-win-win (essentially). You may not be causing much shift in travel modes, but you’re still reducing unnecessary car trips, improving traffic flow, and raising money for infrastructure.
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You raise good points. Transit isn’t necessary to make congestion pricing a reality but it makes the program more attractive. While critics will find something to complain about, it’s a matter of making it seem as attractive as possible, especially to gain more widespread support.
One of the biggest arguments opponents have is that it’ll put an additional burden on lower-income users or serve as an “unnecessary tax” on people. We’re seeing this in New York right now despite transit being more widespread. If there’s no good, reliable alternative to driving, this argument becomes more valid giving critics more reason to oppose implementation in their city. That’s one of the biggest concerns although it could be mitigated through discounts or other benefits to low-income people.
Also, again, having a robust or otherwise decent transit system helps since it could indirectly benefit local transit since those unnecessary car trips are now supplanted by bus, light rail, etc.
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DC is the only other city I could see implementing congestion pricing. Chicago’s downtown is pretty dead and SF doesn’t have enough transit
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Boston has a decent enough transit network so it might be feasible there too. I don’t know about the traffic levels there but it could be doable.
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I think Toronto could use it. There’s a huge traffic problem there. Transit is decent and is growing by leaps and bounds right now
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This article incorrectly says the program is on hold.
It isn’t on hold (Trump can’t legally do anything about it other than make demands) and is still billing vehicles. The MTA is not giving up in it, either.
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I think that article was written by AI.
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